Andy Burnham told staff 'This might be the best day of my life. I'm not joking' as he arrived for his first day at work at the new No.10 North in Manchester. The northern base at Heron House opened for business with Mr Burnham arriving in police convoy just before 11am.
PM's vision for No.10 North
The Prime Minister, who is expected to work from No.10 North at least one day a week, was due to chair a meeting of the National Economic Council, a Cabinet committee first launched in 2008 to respond to economic challenges. He told staff of his pride at what he described as a 'nerve centre for a rewired Britain'.
'I cannot tell you what a proud moment this is,' he said. 'I think this might be the best day of my life. I'm not joking. I know you think I am, but I'm not.'
Personal reflections
Reflecting on his past, Mr Burnham said: 'Things are just completely coming full circle here, for me to be here with you all in the heart of Manchester this Friday morning at the end of a fairly big week is just everything to me. Because it's almost exactly 35 years since I left this city as a recently graduated young man, couldn't find a job in the city.'
'It was in a pretty bad place at that time, it's fair to say. The '80s turned into the '90s. There wasn't much. And that really is an experience that I've never forgotten. My generation of people growing up here, and it's true of places all over the country, to get on in life you had to leave where you were because things weren't here.'
Ending regional inequality
'And the country's always been a little like that, hasn't it? Opportunity has not been evenly spread around the country and not all places have felt that they're part of the national story and that is what this government is going to work every single day to change, and that is what No 10 North is all about: putting power in every postcode so that people can turn things around for themselves and make changes just as this great city has done and the other English cities are doing through devolution.'
'Turning things round because of that ability to be able to do more for themselves. And it's also about getting the whole country facing the same way and then pulling in the same direction. That I think is what No 10 North can achieve.'
Working together
Mr Burnham highlighted the need for collaboration: 'It's felt a little at times that local government's just been a bit forgotten and places aren't able to do what they want to do. But then at the sort of city level, or the regional level, sometimes it's felt like an argument with people in the centre of government and people having a to and fro all of the time. Imagine, just imagine if we were all working together as one team, pulling the same way and making the change happen for people and places.'
'I think we can do that. In fact, I feel we've got to do that. If we want to take Britain from where it is right now, and I think we all have a feeling that it's not fully where it should be right now. If we want to get it back to where it should be, it's got to be about that one team feeling.'
Support from top officials
The PM welcomed the presence of the Chancellor and First Secretary of State: 'I'm really pleased that our new Chancellor of the Exchequer is here today. I know it sounds like woe is me, we've had such a hard week, but we were in a pub together yesterday, weren't we? Rating pub snacks. It did look like hard work. But it's brilliant that you're here, John. Next to John is our first Secretary of State, Louise Haigh. And that, I hope, is sending a message to everybody here who has come into No 10 North in its early days that you've got the full support of the government from the very top: Prime Minister, Chancellor, First Secretary of State.'
'This isn't about government working in its old way, it's about the Treasury, No 10, close together, the heart of government, then driving the same mission from here right out into all parts of the country.'
A new way of governing
Mr Burnham described No.10 North as 'much more profound' than a new office: 'Through this place, power is going to flow, energy is going to flow, new ideas are going to come through, the region's going to play back their ambitions here and the team is then going to say, right, we're behind you, we're going to make things work. That is a different way of running Britain.'
